The Eightfold Career Path; or Invisible Duties

First publiched in (Canadian SF magazine) in April 1990. Published in 2005 as part of  short stories collection.

First publiched in anthology (vol. VI) in 1990. Published in 2005 as part of  short stories collection.

First published in  Vol. 69, #3, No. 592, Winter 1995. Published in 2005 as part of  short stories collection.

Part of  short stories collection (2005).

Award-winning author James Alan Gardner evokes a sense of wonder that is synonymous with great speculative fiction. Now, in his first short-story collection, he brings together the numerous tales that have made his reputation, ranging from the everyday experience to the cosmic, from peanut butter sandwiches to space drives. There are stories of wonder, imagination, humanity, and the unknown and tales that remind us of the importance of possibility.

Some of the stories in this collection have won the Aurora Award and the grand prize in the prestigious Writers of the Future contest and been nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, while others are completely new and undiscovered.

First published in   Vol. 69, #3, No. 592, Winter 1995. Published in 2005 as part of  short stories collection.

Part of  short stories collection (2005).

First published in Vol. 80, #2, No. 477, February 1991. Part of  short stories collection (2005).

Need a Job, Go to Mars… or the nearest space station or colony world. But what kind of career opportunities will you find on the ever-expanding frontiers of space? And how many alien beings will be vying for the same positions? To discover some of the possibilities, check out , and such entertaining and original tales as:

“Attached Please Find My Novel”—Sometimes you found tomorrow’s best-sellers in the most unexpected places…

“The Siren Stone”—Their mission was to blow up an asteroid before it could destroy a space station and its entire population, but nothing could prepare them for what they discovered when they rendezvoused with this giant piece of rock…

“Come All Ye Faithful”—Finding a real congregation on Mars wasn’t going to be easy—in fact he had to admit it would be a miracle if it ever happened…

Смертельная болезнь уничтожила миллионы улумов, крылатых жителей планеты Дэмот. Фэй Смоллвуд, дочь известного на всей планете врача, приходит к выводу, что эпидемия спровоцирована сознательно. Она присоединяется к «Неусыпному оку», группе независимых экспертов, ведущих расследование страшного преступления, и в ходе следствия выясняется, что улумы отнюдь не первые поселенцы на планете и где-то на севере в давным-давно заброшенных шахтах хранятся образцы технологий, обладатель которых достигает вершин могущества.